“[T]he pandemic has materially slowed down the completion of the detailed engineering in Leuna,” says Jussi Pesonen, UPM president and CEO, in a press statement. “Disruptions to global supply chains have affected both the availability and costs of critical construction materials. As a result, we are updating our plans and estimate that the start-up would take place by the end of 2023. The capital expenditure estimate will be updated in due course.”
The plant, which is also expected to manufacture lignin-based functional fillers, was originally estimated to cost €550-million ($615 million).